Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes and additional restrictions after a livestreamed performance in which she appeared without a hijab, according to rights activists.
Ahmadi, alongside eight members of her production team, reportedly staged a concert in 2024 that was broadcast on her YouTube channel. During the performance, she sang the patriotic anthem “Az Khoon-e Javanan-e Vatan” (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland), and the video of the “Caravanserai Concert” later went viral online.
Human rights groups claim that a criminal court in Qom province issued the ruling, which also allegedly includes a two-year travel ban and a two-year prohibition on artistic activities for Ahmadi and several of the musicians involved.
The ruling has not yet been officially published by Iran’s judiciary news agency, but court documents reportedly reviewed by lawyers and rights organisations state that the charges include “offending public decency” through the production and publication of allegedly “vulgar and immoral content” online.
Rights advocates have condemned the reported sentence, arguing it reflects ongoing restrictions on artistic freedom in the country. Bahar Ghandehari, advocacy director at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, described the punishment as evidence that human rights conditions in Iran remain unchanged despite official narratives suggesting otherwise.
She further criticised what she called a gap between state messaging and the prosecution of artists, saying the case highlights the contrast between propaganda and lived realities.
Separately, academic Fatemeh Shams also reacted to the development, arguing that true peace and justice cannot exist where women and dissenting voices face punishment for expression, lifestyle choices, or artistic work.
The case has continued to draw international attention amid broader debates over women’s rights, artistic freedom, and freedom of expression in Iran.